Miggy OK after being plunked on right foot

ANAHEIM -- Miguel Cabrera's 1,402nd career RBI was just his second through a hit-by-pitch. It nearly came at a steep price in Thursday night's 12-2 loss.

As Cabrera hobbled around home plate, keeping pressure off his surgically repaired right foot after C.J. Wilson had hit it, he seemed to be balancing the fate of the Tigers' offense on it.

As Cabrera chased a foul ball an inning later and gave a thumbs-up sign to manager Brad Ausmus, that fear greatly diminished.

"It stings him at first, and it's in an area that's been a problem for him," Ausmus said. "But I think he realized relatively quickly that his ankle was fine, relatively speaking."

Ausmus said he expects Cabrera back in the starting lineup on Friday night. Most likely, that'll be at first base.

"He doesn't really like DHing," Ausmus said earlier. "As a matter of fact, he says it's more beneficial for him to be playing first because it keeps the ankle loose."

The pitch in question came in the third inning after back-to-back walks had loaded the bases on C.J. Wilson, who put Cabrera in a two-strike count before burying a pitch in at Cabrera's feet.

The ball hit Cabrera around the middle of the foot, Ausmus indicated, closer to the toes than the area of his offseason surgery to repair a stress fracture that hampered him for most of the second half last season. A few inches further up, of course, and Cabrera might have been in trouble.

Athletic trainer Doug Teter quickly ran out to check on Cabrera, as did Jose Iglesias once he crossed the plate, having been on third base when the pitch-hit. They helped Cabrera get back to his feet, at which point he limped carefully to first base.

By the late innings, Cabrera seemed to be moving around better. He eventually did leave the game for Hernan Perez, but that was a result of the score, not the pitch.